"Oh I think it's fantastic, and I think it's great that he's Latin American," parishioner David Fulwiler said.

Fulwiler, of the Cathedral of St. John, said it's a great day for Catholics and great for the future of the Catholic Church.

"Latin American church needs support from their own, I think. It's a global church, and it's good to see other faces in there, too," Fulwiler said.

"It's a lot of joy and excitement," said the Rev. Jeff Haines of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.

Haines said the fact that the new Holy Father chose the name Francis, after St. Francis of Assisi, says a lot about the man.

"He has taken some actions in his life to show his solidarity with the common people, that he has not lived in a palatial estate like some of the princes of the church but has lived in a very humble setting, has done his own cooking and even actually took the bus many cases to his appointments, so it shows a real common man, a man of the people, and I think a love for the poor in the choice of his name Francis of course after St. Francis after St. Francis of Assisi, who had such a passion for Lady Poverty," Haines said.

Some expressed a bit of disappointment that Cardinal Timothy Dolan did not become pope because of his close association with this church and Milwaukee.